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HANOI_HAIPHONG
HUNG YEN.
Vice Resident of France-Thurean
THAI NGUYEN.
Vice Resident of France--Rialan
HAI DUONG.
Vice Resident of France—Aumoilte Clerk of Residency-Bastière Assistant-Marsac
Receiver, Posts and Telegraph-Pelletier
EUROPEAN MERCHANTS.
Nicolas & Co.
NINHBINH.
Vice Resident of France-Auvergne Chancelier-Pivert
QUANGYEN.
Vice Resident of Irance-Schillemans Superintendent of Customs-Beauvais
PHULANG THUONG.
Leroy & Cahors, merchants and agents Service Subventionné des Correspon- dances Fluviales du Tonkin Renucci, representative
HAIPHONG.
This is the shipping port for Hanoi, Hai-Dzuong, and Namdinh, the commercial centres of Tonquin. It is situated in lat. 20 deg. 51 min. N, and long. 106 deg. 42 min. E., on the river Cua Cam, which is connected by two or more channels or creeks with that great river connecting Yunnan with the Tonquin Gulf, called the Song-koi. The town of l'aiphong is about sixteen and a half miles from the light- house. The light-house at the entrance of the river, on the island of Hon-Dau, is visible at a distance of about six miles. The entrance to the port is obstructed by two bars; the outer one sand, the inner one mud. Haiphong is accessible, however, by vessels drawing from 19 to 20 feet. There is plenty of water in the river. Vessels anchor about a quarter of a mile from the shore in from 40 to 60 feet of water abreast of a creek communicating with the Song-koi. The banks of the river are low and consist of alluvial mud, from which the French Settlement and the town have with great labour and expense been reclaimed.
Haiphong proper is situated on both sides of the creek above referred to, and is in the midst of an extensive rice swamp with low lying, swampy land all around it for miles, having in the distance the monotony relieved by rugged ranges of low hills and beyond these to the northward, at a distance of some twenty miles, is a range of mountains. The streets are to a great extent as yet in an embryotic state, but are broad and well laid out with a view to the wants of a rapidly increasing town, and already show considerable improvement on their pristine atate, most of them having been metalled and paved recently by the French authorities. The native buildings are wretchedly constructed of mud, bamboo, and matting. The only decent buildings are those occupied by foreigners and Chinese, to which many have lately been added and more are in course of construction, so that Haiphong altogether commences to look more like a town. The bulk of the European residents are French. The Custom House is in the control of the French. The population of Haiphong is difficult to estimate, but probably does not exceed 7,000. There are about 1,000 foreigners, including Chinese.
Haiphong is distant from Hanoi, the former capital of Tonquin, some sixty miles as the crow flies, but by the main river (the Song-koi) the route is about 150 miles, and by the Cua Cam and the Bacninh canal about 90 miles. A number of small steamers ply regularly between Hanoi and Haiphong. Haiphong is now connected by submarine cables with Saigon and Hongkong.
The port of Haiphong was opened in 1875, and for the first three years trade largely increased, and still continues to grow. The war in Tonquin unsettled trade for some time and it has not yet fully recovered. The nominal value of the imports in 1880 was 5,467,315fr., and of the exports, 7,507,528fr., making a total of 12,974,838fr., but this amount is far from representing the real volume of business.